Houston Astros Named 'Long-Shot' Contender to Trade for Ace Pitcher

The Houston Astros have been named a "long-shot" contender to acquire one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Aug 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown speaks with media before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are heading towards the 2024 MLB trade deadline next week as big-time buyers. Everyone knows that the Astros would like to swing big on the starting pitcher trade market.

Keeping that in mind, there are a couple of very high-profile starters available. One of them is Detroit Tigers' ace Tarik Skubal.

Skubal has been hot in the rumor mill over the last few weeks. While there is no guarantee that the Tigers will move him, they seem to be open to listening to offers. Houston should absolutely get involved.

Bleacher Report recently took a look at the teams that could pull off a trade for Skubal. While the Astros were on the list as a "long-shot" contender to trade for him, they were on the list.

"The Astros are worth thinking about as a fit for Skubal because they've been battling injuries within their starting rotation all season long. But the idea quickly falls apart, as they have Justin Verlander and Luis Garcia on the comeback trail and are short on prospects anyway."

Basically, they mentioned Houston and took them off the list at the same time.

However, would it be wild to think that even with Verlander and Garcia coming back that they could try to do everything possible to acquire Skubal?

Skubal would be an addition for much longer than the 2024 season. He still has two years left on his deal following the current campaign. That would make him an even more attractive option for the Astros.

Coming up with a trade to make it happen would be the difficult part. Houston doesn't have a stacked farm system. They do have MLB-ready players, but Detroit will be wanting a massive haul to move him.

No one should ever say never when it comes to potential trades. The Astros might have players that the Tigers truly want. Houston shouldn't be written off just yet.

There is no question that it would be a long shot to acquire him. That is exactly why they're labeled as such by Bleacher Report.

All of that being said, Brown and the Astros' front office wants to be aggressive. They want to acquire a legitimate star starting pitcher. It would be unwise to think that they couldn't get creative if there was a legitimate opportunity to acquire a talent like Skubal.